Reinforced concrete construction for buildings.



PATENTED APR. 7, 1908.

H. H. WHEELER. REINFORCED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION FOR BUILDINGS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8,1907.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARLAN HERBERT WHEELER, OF MAYWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE CONCRETE FRAME COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

REINFORCED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION FOR BUILDINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 8, 1907.

Patented April 7, 1908.

Serial No. 356,324.

.5 buildings, and mainly for houses, cottages,

stables and like structures, in place of the heavy concrete walls, laid up in the usual expensive Wooden molds, a light and inexpensive construction, composed of thin walls of reinforced concrete, stiffened and strengthened on the inside by a reinforcedconcrete frame composed of vertical and horizontal members, built in union with the wall, the concrete of both wall and frame to be applied to sheet-metal reinforcement without the use of molds. This gives a light and inexpensive reinforced-concrete wall, capable of carrying the floor and roof loads, and also fireproof and perfectly weatherproof, at a cost little in excess of the common stuccoed frame house, and presenting the extlgrnal appearance of a stuccoed masonrywa For this purpose the invention consists of a reinforced-concrete frame formed on the inside of, and in union with the wall, composed of a horizontal member, or bearingledge for floor or roof beams, and a vertical member or stiffener, preventing the buckling or bending of the thin wall under the load. Both horizontal and vertical members are formed by wrapping as many as may be necessary of the uprights and laterals used for the erection of the sheet reinforcement with the same material and covering and filling with concrete the same as the walls. The uprights and horizontal members are useful during construction only, and when inclosed in concrete are not necessary for the strength and rigidity of the wall.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an inside elevation of a wall constructed in accordance with the invention, the joists being shown in section, Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2, 2, Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of the wall, drawn on an enlarged scale, Fig. 4 is a section on line 4, 4, Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a section on line 5, 5, Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings a denotes the foundation- Wall upon which the improved reinforcedconcrete construction is built. Upon this wall there are placed at suitable points up-- rights d and these uprights are connected by horizontal members or beams g, which are nailed or otherwise secured to the uprights, said beams being located at the points where the floors of the building are to be constructed. In the building illustrated in the drawing two such beams are employed in the construction of each wall.

The spaces between the uprights and the horizontal beams are filled with reinforced concrete. This is effected by connecting the horizontal beams, between the uprights, by means of a sheet-metal reinforcement which is bent about the u rights and the horizontal beams and wired t ereto. Said sheet-metal reinforcement, together with the uprights and horizontal beams, is then embedded in concrete e so as to form a relatively thin wall. At the points where the horizontal beams are located this wall is provided with horizontal inwardly-extending bearing-ledges f formed by concrete applied to the reinforcement extending about the horizontal beams in such a manner that said beams form cores for the bearing-ledges, as shown in Fig. 3. The uprights cl also serve as cores for vertical inwardly-extending ribs or stiffening members h formed by embedding the uprights and the reinforcement about the same in the concrete, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The bearingledges f and the ribs h form ortions of the wall which are of greater thic ness than the main part.

The concrete employed is preferably made of Portland cement and applied to the reinforcement by means of a trowel, first to the outside of the reinforcement and then to the inside. As stated, this wall is relatively thin, it having in ractice a thickness of about 2% inches. T e u rights and horizontal beams will be comp etely embedded in the concrete. They are only of use during erection.

Upon the bearing-ledges f the joists l) for the second floor and for the roof are placed. The rafters r are supported on the uppermost bearing-ledge, and the joists b for the first floor rest on the foundation-wall.

is throughout the greater portion comparatively thin, whereby the cost of the wall is reduced and the erection facilitated. It is apparent that the wall may be much more easily and inexpensively constructed than a Wall formed of heavy concrete blocks which have to be molded. Although the wall is thin, still it possesses the necessary strength by reason of the fact that it is reinforced and prevented from buckling in either direction by means of the vertical and horizontal ledges, of which the uprights and horizontal beams constitute respectively the cores.

The improved construction is manifestly superior to the ordinary wooden-frame-construction as it is fireproof and permanent, offering an improved masonry-wall at low cost. When lathed and plastered on the inside face of the vertical members of the frame it forms the most secure kind of a hollow wall, impervious to heat, damp and cold.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

In a reinforced-concrete wall, the combination of uprights, a horizontal beam connecting said uprights, and a reinforced-concrete wall extending between said uprights and said beam, said wall having an inwardlyextending bearing-ledge of which said beam is the core, and upright, inwardly-extending stiffening ribs or members of which said uprights constitute the cores.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARLAN HERBERT WHEELER.

Witnesses PAUL GoErEL, HENRY J. SUHRBIER. 

